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A French-Inspired Garden and Home by Judith Stringham

Whisper Mountain ~ Interior Spaces, Part 2

Thursday, August 27, 2015

Whisper Mountain ~ Part 2

Interior Spaces

If you read the last post, Whisper Mountain ~ Part 1 Outdoor Spaces, you saw the natural beauty of the magnificent location of a three-bedroom rental house and probably could not imagine that the house's interior spaces could compete with the outdoor setting shown in the photo above. Houses on Whisper Mountain in North Carolina are a Southern Living Green Community and are built with historical and environmental preservation as inherent parts of their designs making each one very special.

The rental house where we stayed has interior spaces that compete with its natural setting mainly because the owner/builder incorporated many natural materials in the interior spaces and designed the house to take advantage of the mountain and valley views from every room. The full-glass front door shows the beautiful hardwood floors, the custom designed beamed wood ceilings, and vintage wood dining table even before entering, merging the outdoors with the indoors.

Once inside the front door, the view back outside includes the sitting area on the first covered porch with its rough-hewn log beams supporting the natural bead board porch ceiling. One of the great features of the house is its accessibility for someone in a wheelchair. Notice how the exterior porch floor and interior floor are the same level without the usual small level change from outside to inside. A wheelchair easily rolls over the low threshold. The door handles also are easy to use for people who have difficulty grasping round doorknobs.

The house has a mountain cabin feel with the wood framed windows, but at the same time has a modern uncluttered design.

Windows do not have curtains or blinds giving wide-open views to the mountains and valleys from inside. Since there are no other houses in sight, privacy is not an issue.

The kitchen, dining area, and living area are one Great Room looking onto a full wall of windows and French doors that look out to the attached porches and beyond to the mountains and valleys. Just beyond the living room is an office area with windows that overlook the mountains and valleys. Opposite the built-in desk are the stairs that lead to a third bedroom on the second floor above the garage.

Looking back the opposite direction from the kitchen area is a hall that leads to the first floor bedroom wing. The house floor plan is only one room wide for the full length of the house. The long hall connects the master bedroom, a half guest bath, a laundry room, and a guest bedroom. The beams in the living area are stripped massive tree trunks from trees felled on the mountain.

State-of-the-art appliances include a smooth-top range, large oven, French door refrigerator, dishwasher, microwave, two automatic coffee makers, deep ceramic sink, and a bar sink out of view in this photo. The granite counter tops and irregular shaped granite backsplashes echo the colors of the natural woods surrounding the house.

Have you ever seen a more beautiful natural granite fireplace mantel and supports? The fireplace reminds me of the great lodges built in the national parks in the West.

All of the super large bedrooms have sitting areas and have a full wall of windows or French doors that overlook the mountains and valleys.

Each of the ground floor bedrooms have glass doors that lead to decks/porches that overlook the mountains and valleys. The master bedroom leads to the main covered porch outside the living room, and the main floor guest bedroom leads to a private open deck.

A full bath is attached to each of the three bedrooms. The master bath shown has a wheelchair accessible walk-in shower. All of the interior wooden doors are like the one shown leading to a walk-in closet at one end of the bathroom. I love the curved arch door panels.

In addition to the three full baths there is also a half bath for guests near the living room.

Isn't this an incredible home? I could move right in and live there all summer, but not the winter. The mountain road has several switchbacks and would be treacherous in snow and ice.

❦

There's even more to see. Come back next time for

the third and final post about Whisper Mountain.

Whisper Mountain ~ Part 3

Special Design Touches

I'll show you more details in both decor and architectural design that make this house special ~

more things that make it a home, and more things that give it character.

You may find something that inspires you to do something similar in your own home,

What a wonderful place to go to for a retreat, Judith. The views from the porch and all the different parts of the house are amazing! (part 1 & 2) I would love to be there to see the leaves change for fall. They have thought of everything to make you feel comfortable and relax... beautiful home. I’m loving the tour and looking forward to part 3!

Paris, France

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French Country and Christmas are the two touchstones of Botanic Bleu. French Country is a way of life, not just decorating, and Christmas is a way of life all year, not just during the traditional holiday season. Find a little joie de vivre each day at Botanic Bleu through memories of past experiences, through savoring experiences of the present moment, and through hope in the future. Follow along for French-inspired home decor, gardening tips, and moments in France.

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